Closure for paper ice cream packing containers and the like



Sept. 8,

595 27x25 fig 1936. E. w. BARNARD ET AL 2,053,688

CLOSURE FOR PAPER ICE CREAM PACKING CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 11, 1932 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE CLOSURE FOR PAPER ICE CREAM PACKING CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Application June 11, 1932, Serial No. 616,596

20 Claims.

This invention relates to covers for paper ice cream cans and the like, and this application is a continuation in part of our copending application, Serial No. 540,282, filed May 27, 1931.

Some difficulty has been experienced in removing tops from paper ice cream cans, this difflculty arising particularly by reason of expansion of the can body incident to the freezing of the ice cream therein, with the result that the cover becomes tightly locked or frozen to the can body.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide an improved end closure for a can body, whereby the can may be easily opened so as to provide full access to-the contents. A further object is the provision of such an end closure which affords a reinforcement and protection for the end of the can body both before and after the can is opened. It is also an object of the invention to provide such an end closure which will be securely fastened to the can body but which nevertheless may be easily applied without special tools or equipment for that purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing in which a closure structure embodying a selected form of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a can cover illustrative of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same applied to a can body, a portion being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section showing the preferred position on the can body of a part of the cover which remains on the can body after another part of the cover is removed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified arrangement.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be understood that the closure structure disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is in the form of a top closure or cover adapted for use in connection with a substantially cylindrical container having a tubular body 5, which preferably is formed of paper board or similar material in such fashion as to be flexible or collapsible to a flattened form for conservation of space when the container is stored or shipped in knocked-down condition prior to use.

The improved closure for the can body 5 includes a relatively rigid annular member 6 which has its margin seated in the recessed seat 9 of 10 the rim.

The cover disk 10 may be readily inserted into place from the inside end of the rim, this being accomplished by inserting the disk in an angular manner and forcing the same past the inwardly l5 bent marginal lip portion H- of the rim. It will be understood that the flexibility and compressibility of a paper board disk readily permits sufiicient distortion thereof to allow it to be inserted into the outwardly recessed seat 9, as described. It will be understood that the cover disk I0 is consequently retained in the annular member 6 so that the closure may be applied to the can body by inserting the upper margin of the body into the rim 6, thereby placing the cover disk held in can closing position by seating it on the end of the can body, where it is held by the inwardly extending top flange'portion 8 of .the

The cover disk I0 is provided with scoring or other weakened lines, such as indicated at H. In this instance, the scoring is shown as being arranged to provide a central portion l3 of the disk, spaced inwardly from the periphery of the disk, and outer or peripheral sections I 4, l5, and

I6, respectively.

When a cover of the type described is used on a paper board can in which ice cream is frozen, it is found that the can body is slightly expanded by the freezing of the contents so that the metal rim 6 of the cover, especially at its bottom edge flange I I, becomes a tight fit on the can body and cannot be readily removed. The lower inturned marginal portion ll of the annular member may yield outwardly somewhat as an incident to expansion of the can body so that the can body will not be cut or otherwise damaged when expanded.

When it is desired to have access to the contents of the can, some portion of the scoring I2 is broken through, by means of a knife or other implement, if necessary, and the disk broken into sections which may be separately removed from the rim without difllculty. While no particular method need be followed in breaking the scoring, it is suggested that it may conveniently bedonebybreakingthecoveratthescoring at one of the corners of the triangular central portion II, which may then be easily lifted out of the cover disk, whereupon the other sections H, II, and It may also be readily separated from each other and removed from the rim. It will, of course, be understood that the weakened score lines above described may be arranged in any manner to facilitate removal of the cover disk outwardly or upwardly from the metal rim either in sections or in one piece.

When the cover disk is thus removed, the upper end of the can body 5 is reinforced and held in shape by the remaining metal rim 6, and the inwardly extending flange 8 thereof, which is preferably turned downwardly and outwardly as shown, serves to provide a smooth, non-cutting and durable end for the can body. After removal of the disk the rim may be pressed downwardly on the can body until the flange portion 8 rests on the end of the can body, as shown in Figure 4, thus providing the can body with a smooth and durable edge over which an ice cream scoop may be drawn to remove surplus ice cream carried up by the scoop. It will be observed that when the parts are positioned as in Figure 3, there is practically no space between the rim flange 8 and can body in which ice cream might be trapped, or which would be objectionable for any other reason.

The annular member 6 may be formed from a metal strap having a considerable degree of resiliency yet of sufllcient ductility to permit its being shaped into the ring form, and the ends of the strap may be joined in any suitable manner so as to form an endless band or collar.

One suitable manner of connecting the ends of the strap is indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 wherein the ends of the strap are shown overlapped. At the end of the strap which overlies the other end, the bead portion 8 is cut away as indicated at 2i so as to provide an abutting joint 22 between the ends of the beaded portion of the strap. The underlying strap end is provided with an opening 23 and the overlying strap end is provided with a U-shaped slot 24 which leaves a tongue 25 normally disposed in the plane of the strap of which it forms a part. In joining the two ends of the strap, the tongue 25 is passed through the opening 23 substantially as indicated in Fig. 3.

However, it will be understood that the thickness of the strap forming the annular member is materially exaggerated and that the offset relation of the tongue 25 with respect to the strap por-- tion from which it is formed is necessarily exaggerated. In actual construction, the thickness of the metal strap is so slight that the three ply thickness at the described joint is not sufiicient to cause a noticeable bulge in the annular member such as appears in Fig. 3.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the upper end portion of the can body is outwardly rebent to provide a two-ply upper end portion at i1 which may reinforcethe upper edge.

An annular member such as the member 6 may be mounted on the can body formed as shown in Fig. 5, the inturned flange or lip portion ll then looking behind the shoulder l9 formed by the rebent portion ll of the can body. However, in Fig. 5, a modified metallic rim construction is shown. The rim there disclosed includes a side or body part 26 and an inwardly extending top flange portion 21. As shown, the top flange portion 21 is provided with a bead-like formation 2| at its inner margin so as to provide a smooth, non-cutting edge such as above referred to. A

cover disc 20 is positioned in the annular member between the top flange member 21 and a series of inwardly oflset portions such as punch pricks 20. The series of inwardly offset portions 30 cooperates with the flange portion 21 to form, in

effect, an inwardly facing groove for receiving the thickness of the cover 29.

The lower marginal portion of the rim 26 is bent inwardly, preferably to a re-entrant angle relative to the body portion 26 of the rim, substantially as indicated at 3 i. By thus bending the flange or lip portion 3|, positioning of the rim on the can body is facilitated since the flange forms a conical or funnel-like guiding surface for steering the end of the can body into the rim as the latter is telescoped thereon, the upper end of the body portion being flexed inwardly sufficiently to permit the shoulder l8 to pass the flange 3!. If desired, the flange portion 3| may be turned inwardly at right angles to the rim portion 26, but the described upwardly converging form is preferable.

For joining the ends of the strap from which the annular member 26 is made, a joint such as shown in Fig. 2 may be employed or the joint may be made by providing one end of the strap with a tongue 32 and the other end with an opening 33. The beaded portion of the strap may be cut away in the manner above described in connection with Fig. 2 so as to avoid overlapping such beaded portions. The tongue 32 is adapted to be inserted in the opening 33 and rebent so as to lock the parts in assembled relation.

It will be observed that when the rim is in place on the end of the can body, the tongue 32 in the structure shown in Fig. 5 and the tongue 25 in the structure shown in Fig. 2 will be clamped tightly against the outside of the can body whereby the tongues are prevented from bending in such a manner as to permit separation of the ends of the rim.

..Whe n the construction is as shown in Fig- 5, the annular member will be more positively locked to the can against removal therefrom while, at the same time, being readily adjustable to final seated position as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be noted that the inturned lower flange portion may be of such width that it will not engage the side wall of the can body proper. Hence, there will be no resistance at this point to downward movement of the rim to finally seated position when the cover disk is removed.

Changes may be made in the described construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be deter mined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

We claim as our invention:-

1. In a cover of the class described, the combination of a rim having a side portion fitting the upper end portion of a can body, an outwardly recessed seat in said side portion, and a paper cover disk having its edge portion seated in said recessed seat, said cover disk being provided with scoring for facilitating separation of the disk into sections adapted to be separately removed from said rim:

2. In a cover of the class described'the combination of a rim having a side portion fitting the upper end portion of a can body, an outwardly recessed seat in said side portion and a paper cover disk having its edge portion seated in said recessed seat, said cover disk being provided with 3. In combination with a tubular can body formed of flexible paper board, a cover including a relatively rigid rim having .a side portion adapted to embrace the upper marginal portion 4 of said can body and an inwardly extending flange overlying the end of said can body, and a paper cover disk extending over the end of said body within said rim and having its'marginal edge portion interposed between said flange and body end, said disk being adapted for upward removal thereof from the rim while the latter remains in place on said body as a protection and reinforcement for the upper end thereof.

,4. In combination with a can body, a cover including a metal rim having a side portion adapted to embrace the upper marginal portion of said can body and an inwardly extending flange overlying the end of said can body, a paper cover disk extending over the end of said body within said rim and having its marginal edge portion interposed between said flange and body end, said disk being provided with scoring for facilitating separation of said disk into sections adaptedto be separately removed from said rim while the latter remains in place on said can body.

5. In combination, a can body and a cover therefor, said cover being formed of an outer annular part mounted on the can body and a closure disk removably associated with said outer annular part, said disk being provided with means for facilitating separation thereof into sections adapted to be separa ely removed from said annular part while the latter is in position on said can body.

6. In a knocked-down ice cream packing container, in combination, a collapsible can body made of paper board and a cover therefor, said cover being formed of a relatively rigid outer annular part adapted to be telescoped onto the can body by the packer and an end closure removably associated with said outer annular part, said closure being adapted for removal upwardly from said annular part without displacing the latter from the can body, and said annular part remaining as a shape-maintaining reinforcement on the can body and affording a smooth, rigid,

non-cutting edge around the open top of the can after removal of said closure.

7. A container comprising a collapsible tubular body member and a relatively rigid annular member adapted to telescope upon the end of the body member and a paper disk removably mounted in said annular member for closing the end of the body member, said annular member having an inwardly extending ledge normally overlying a marginal portion of said disk and the adjacent edge of the body member, the annular member being adapted to be moved downwardly on the body member after removal of said disk so as to cause said inwardly extending ledge to engage the upper edge of the body member in protective overlying relation thereto.

8. In a container, the combination of a container body having an end portion rebent outwardly so as to form an external shoulder spaced from the end of the body, and a closure for said end of the body comprising a disk and an annular metallic member provided with, means for receiving said disk, a marginal portion of said member, the edge. of said rebent portion being adapted to engage said shoulder for locking the closure on the container, body, and the re-entrant angle of said rebent portion serving to facilitate the positioning of said annular member on the body.

9. In a container closure, the combination of a disk and an annular metallic member provided with means for receiving said disk, said means comprising an inturned end flange and a series of inwardly offset, circumferentially spaced portions spaced from said flange, said portions cooperating with saidflange to form, in effect, a recess for receiving the thickness of the disk.

10. A container of the character described,

comprising a collapsible body member and a piece retained by said. rim to close the end of the body member but removable from said rim to permit access to the contents of the container.

11. A cover member for a container, comprisin a continuous rim piece of metallic material, an inwardly extending bead at one end thereof, an inwardly extending preformed lip portion at the other end thereof, said lip portion being adapted for retentive engagement with a portion of the container body, and a removable closure disk within said rim member having its peripheral edges removably seated within and supported by said bead.

12. A container of the character described including a collapsible tubular body member and a cover member comprising a metallic rim portion telescoped over one end of said tubular member and having an inwardly extending lip portion adapted to engage said body member to secure said body member and cover member together and an end closure portion retained by said rim portion but being removable therefrom to permit access to the container, the rim portion then serving as a shape maintaining and protecting element for the end of the body member.

13. A container of the character described, including a. flexible tubular body member, and a cover member adapted to be applied to the body member to close one end of the container, said cover member comprising a relatively stiff rim adapted to interlock with the end of said body member when the cover member is placed in container closing position, and an end closure piece retained by said rim but adapted to be removed therefrom to permit access to the container contents, the rim then serving as a shape maintaining and protective element for the end of the body member.

14. A container adapted to receive bulk ice cream comprising a collapsible body member having a projecting peripheral portion at one end thereof, and a cover adapted to be afllxed to the body member after the container is filled, said cover comprising a relatively stiff rim portion adapted to telescope onto and retentively grip said projecting peripheral portion when the cover is placed in container closing position, and an end closure piece retained by said rim portion but adapted for separation therefrom to permit access to the container while the rim remains retained thereon, the rim portion then serving as a shape maintaining and protective element for the end of the body member.

15. An improved knocked-down container of the character described comprising a collapsible open ended body portion having a retaining flange formed on one end thereof, a cover comprising a relatively stiflf rim having a retaining portion projecting from said rim and adapted to permanently interlock with said flange when the cover is forced thereon, and an end closure piece adapted to be retained on the body portion by the rim but separable therefrom to permit access to the contents while the rim remains on the body portion.

16. An improved knocked-down container of the character described comprising a collapsible tubular body portion having a retaining flange formed on one end thereof, a cover member for sealing the container comprising an annular rim having a pre-formed retaining lip adapted to permanently interlock with said flange when the cover member is forced thereon, and an end closure piece adapted to be retained in end-closing position on the body member by said rim but removable upwardly from the latter to permit access to the contents while the rim remains as a shape-maintaining reinforcement on the body member.

17. In a container, the combination of a flexible tubular container body having an outwardly jutting shoulder adjacent its upper end, and a closure for said end of the body comprising a disk and an annular rim encompassing said disk and adapted to telescope onto the end of the tubular body, the lower marginal portion of said annular rim being turned inwardly to engage under said shoulder to lock the closure on the tubular body, said inwardly turned portion having upwardly converging surfaces for engaging the edge of the tubular body to facilitate the telescoping of said annular rim onto the body.

18. In a knocked-down container, the combination of a collapsible tubular body member made of paper board and having an outwardly jutting shoulder adjacent its upper end, and a cover adapted for application to said body member after it is set up, said cover comprising a paper board disk for closing the end of the body member and a relatively rigid pre-formed rim having at its upper end an inwardly extending ledge overlying the margin of the disk and at its lower end an inwardly projecting lip adapted to engage under said shoulder to retain the rim on the body member, said' disk and rim being adapted for removal of the disk from the rim to afford access to the contents of the container while the rim remains retained on the body portion to serve as a protecting and shape-maintaining reinforcement for the upper end thereof.

19. In a knocked-down container, the combination of a tubular body member which is made of paper board and is flexible to a flattened form, said body member having an outwardly jutting shoulder adjacent its upper end, and a cover for application to said body member, said cover including a relatively rigid annular rim adapted to be telescoped onto the upper end of the body member, said rim being pre-formed with an inwardly extending lip adapted to engage under said shoulder and with an inwardly rolled bead disposed to overhang the upper edge of the body member, and a paper board closure disk removably fitting within said rim with its marginal portion under said bead and in position to be retained between the latter and the upper edge of the body portion, said bead being sufliciently narrow to permit removal of the closure disk to aflord access to the contents of the container while the rim remains in place on the body member.

20. In a container, the combination with a flexible body member of paper board adapted to assume a tubular form, of an end closure for the body member comprising a metallic band shaped to form a collar and having its ends provided with a tongue and slot arrangement whereby they may be connected to secure the collar in encompassing engagement with the body member, said collar having at its upper margin an inwardly projecting ledge arranged to project over the upper edge of the body member, and a paper board disk having its marginal portion engaged under said ledge in position to be held thereby in engagement with the edge of the tubular body member to form an end closure therefor, said collar forming a protective and shapemaintaining reinforcement for the end of the flexible body member.

EARL W. BARNARD. SAMUEL N. LEOPOLD. 

